ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

Michael Kenrick

Pienaar is now more involved and more influential than Arteta! He is an absolute pleasure to watch.

Chris Rowell
1 Posted 15/12/2007 at 23:09:58

I came on here to have my say RE pienaar after watching football first. Outstanding! With both him and Mikel we have two of the best footballing midfielders in the prem. Why isnt Davy interested in signing him in Jan? Surely he will be in the shop window whilst hes on loan, we should take the opportunity ASAP. He obviously wants to come, just hope we dont get priced out of the market in the summer as per Fernandez

Stig Meacham
2 Posted 15/12/2007 at 23:43:30

Great find, Ricardo!

And MK, I totally agree; he’s presently out-Arteta’ing Arteta! He’s taking charge and is honestly better week after week. We gotta sign this guy, like, yesterday.

Connor Rohrer
3 Posted 15/12/2007 at 23:44:04

Pienaar’s quality plain and simple. He’s a talented player with a big big heart. He’s commitment for the cause is even more important than his touch, technique, articulate passing and excellent vision. It doesn’t matter whether its the 1st or the 90th minute he will run his arse off all game. I remember last week against Fulham with about 2 minutes left and the game virtually won he ran the whole length of the pitch just to win the ball back and that is just priceless in my opinion.

Is he better than Arteta? I dont think so but he definatly has more heart and never hides. He plays every game home or away and he turns up all the time. Looks for the ball, makes the passes, works his balls off and gets stuck in. Sadly I can not say that for Mikel. Dont get me wrong Arteta even on a bad day is neat and tidy but he needs to be more inventive. Use his dribbling skills to his advantage and grab the game by the scruff of the neck. He is still our most important player ahead of Cahill, Pienaar, Osman and Yakubu but he needs to offer more to the plate.

Chris Lee
4 Posted 16/12/2007 at 00:05:16

He’s got twice the workrate of Mikel and just as much ability on the ball.

Arteta needs to get his act together or he wont be lifting the fans player of the year trophy for a third year in succession.

How nice is it to be discussing this?! Both are fantastic players.

Keith Glazzard
5 Posted 16/12/2007 at 00:25:59

Chris - couldn’t agree more. What luxury ! Chatting about the merits of two superb footballers, and both of them totally committed to the cause.

I will be amazed if EFC don’t have the option to sign Steve P at the end of the season at the price already agreed. His value increases every game (partly because of the company he keeps) and if we needed to sign him in January we obviously would.

Pienaar vs Arteta? No contest. Steve wears long sleeves and gloves. Not so San Mikel. Love ’em both.

Ste Birkett
6 Posted 16/12/2007 at 01:18:14

Just a couple of months ago we’d be lamenting any game Mikel would miss.....now we’re spoiled for choice as to who’s the most creative in the midfield!! Absolute joy to watch and even be having the topic, as people have said.

I understand Moyes wants to keep Stevie hungry and proving his worth, but he honestly seems like the type who will keep slogging his guts out either way so I’d prefer to see us snap him up ASAP. Ossie and Tiny seem to be flourishing with him alongside them, which even MOTD are noticing for once, so long may that continue.

David Mathieson
7 Posted 16/12/2007 at 01:29:42

It's good to be Blue, it always was and always will be...

Wayne Smyth
8 Posted 16/12/2007 at 02:17:55

My understanding is that we have first refusal on him at an agreed price at the end of his loan spell, so there should be no need to purchase him prematurely.

Moyes is obviously aware of what happened with fernandes and wont want a repeat, so you’ve got to trust his judgement when he says that nothing will be done to the end of the season.

Its not like Moyes is still unsure of him, as he’s been playing him every game and enthusing about his performances.

Laurie Hartley
9 Posted 16/12/2007 at 06:33:24

I’ve just finished watching us beat the hammers on Foxtel (Oz) for the second time in a week and have got to say the way this Everton team is playing is up there with the best teams we have ever had - and Piennar has played a big part in it. It is as if he has acted as a catalyst for the rest of the team. PIennar has real vision - he knows what passes are "on" and which is the best for the team.

Harvey Kendall and Ball would have been proud of some of the passages of passing that we saw between Piennar, Osman and Arteta in these two games. I was a bit concerned these three might be a bit small for the premiership but it dawned on me recently that Kendall, Harvey and Ball were not very big in stature either (I had the priviledge of watching them play together for a number of seasons). K, H & B just had big blue hearts. It would be interesting if someone could produce a physical comparison. By the way lets not forget Osman is playing out of his skin as is the rest of the team - I starting to get emotional.

David M - you are so right - it is good to be blue, it always has been and it always will be. We will be great again. Come on the BLUUUUUES!!!

Mark Pendleton
10 Posted 16/12/2007 at 09:03:10

I’m pretty sure Wayne’s right in that it was always documented that we have first refusal at £2.5m on Pienaar. As such i think Moyesey is probably of the opinion that why sign him in January and put the risk of a leg break, cruciate injury or non football related problem onto us until we have to. Obviously we all desperately hope nothing like that happens but it makes sense to wait until the season’s over. I agree with the other posts in that the guy is a joy to watch, has a fantastic engine, is intelligent, has a lot of tricks and uses them to good effect. I think he’s actually a different kind of player to Mikel although they’re both sublimely talented. I’d rather debate their merits in their own right as i just can’t be critical of Mikel. I’m just glad that now if you want to stop Everton you have to try and keep about half a dozen players quiet instead of one, maybe two. And Ossie is improving playin with Mikel and Pienaar too. Great times.

Neil McKinney
11 Posted 16/12/2007 at 10:43:53

Pienaar is obviously a good young talent that should be snapped up.

It would appear that we have something written into the loan deal that would give us the first refusal at the end of the season. However, all that means is that the club would have to sell to is IF we pay the agreed fee and IF Pienaar wants to play for us. At the moment, Pienaar is loving it at Everton, but you never know what might happen in the summer. First refusal or not, other clubs can sniff around, making public their interest in the player and if he decides he’d rather go play for someone else then the first refusal counts for nothing. I say sign him while it’s all stacked in our favour.

Allan Hobbs
12 Posted 16/12/2007 at 11:06:49

Its very simple - Moyes wont buy him in January because the loan deal runs until the end of the season. That was always the case, nothings changed; he will buy him at the end for around £2.5m as per the original deal with his club. This same thread seems to appear about once a week at the moment!

Rupert Coghlan
13 Posted 16/12/2007 at 11:11:20

It’s pleasing to think that even tho Mikel isn’t playing that well at the moment, he’s still doing pretty good, and when he’s back to his A-game then the two of them will be even more potent.

However, is Pienaar off to the African Nations? It’s probably been on here before I just haven’t spotted it.

Rish Sanakeez
14 Posted 16/12/2007 at 12:09:17

Stevie P seems to be improving with each game, it is really encouraging to see a new player run his socks off for his new club!

After reading that article, I have come to the conclusion that Benni is a class act.

mick Simo
15 Posted 16/12/2007 at 12:28:26

His movement and passing is excellent, to be honest I was a bit unsure about him at first, with the physical demands of the English game but fair enough he has proved me wrong and seems to have that little bit of class. I think having Pienaar in the team does take the pressure of Mikel a bit, and it was Mikels cross that produced the first goal, I dont think his form as dipped, just that Piennar is taking some of the passing responiability away from him. Anyway good article and thanks Benni McCarthey for your advice spot on lad, pitty your at a not bad team but a crap club.

Brian Hill
16 Posted 16/12/2007 at 12:41:20

Rupert Coghlan.
Pienaar is in the SA squad for the African Cup of Nations. Here is an article about it if you are interested:

http://www.southafrica.info/2010/soccer061207.htm

Ian MacHenry
17 Posted 16/12/2007 at 12:38:10

This lad is becoming more influntial to the team by the week. The 2m - 2.5m he will cost is a joke he’s a 6m pound player at least in the current market.

To think that one of the best midfields out side the Top Four could cost only 7m pound is unbelivable.

Cahill - 2m
Arteta - 2.5m
Carsley - 1m
Oman - free
Pienaar - £2.5 ?

Didn’t Crouch cost that ?? !! I’m just waitin for us to get done for Fraud.

Ian MacHenry
18 Posted 16/12/2007 at 13:07:20

I appreciate it actually adds up to 8m but it is Sunday and I haven’t been up long.

mickmac
19 Posted 16/12/2007 at 13:22:45

does any one know of a link where I can watch yesterdays highlights

Keith Glazzard
20 Posted 16/12/2007 at 14:51:16

Highlights - Virginmedia have all the goals and a bit more from each game all week. the pictures are from the same cameras as MoTD, but they do their own commentary, quite well and you sometimes get bits we didn’t on tv. I think they load up on Monday. Its free.

James Elworthy
21 Posted 16/12/2007 at 16:44:13

The deal to sign Pienaar will happen when the loan period runs out.
The money will stay in the bank earning interest, which makes business sense. The danger of injury also could happen during the loan period.

Paul Momber
22 Posted 17/12/2007 at 04:11:24

2.5, how f?ing good is that, go to give it to our scouting network or whoever is finding these gems ie Fernandes, Arteta, Peanuts. Makes you wonder what the Blackburns of this world are doing and what about Newcastle, they sign shite for 5 times the amount we pay for players and we always end up the better player.

Nick Entwistle
23 Posted 17/12/2007 at 12:48:48

I like the fact Arteta spoke to his Spanish mates across the park before deciding to join Everton. With him coming in for Grav it enabled us to finish 4th and pip the RS. How dumb can you be... at one point it had cost them CL!

Dick Fearon
24 Posted 17/12/2007 at 09:14:06

for the African Cup to be slap bang in he middle of our season?